The two cities at a glance
Population, home values, and the county
Gwinnett County
Mulberry
- Population
- about 39,600
- Home values
- no official city figure published; the Hamilton Mill core reports a median sale price around $630,000
the 2020 Census population of the area the city later incorporated; the Gwinnett County fact sheet estimated roughly 43,000 residents
Barrow and Gwinnett counties
Auburn
- Population
- about 10,100
- Home values
- roughly $300,000 to $440,000 in median sale price span across recent sources
2024 Census Bureau estimate, up from about 7,500 in 2020
Side by side
Mulberry vs Auburn, row by row
The seven numbers and character notes that decide most moves. Where a figure is not published by an official source, the page says so plainly instead of inventing one.
Commute to Atlanta
Mulberry
I-85 runs 30 to 40 miles to downtown through the heaviest corridor traffic; over an hour at rush hour.
Auburn
About 55 minutes to downtown in normal traffic via I-85 or Highway 316, one to one and a half hours at rush hour.
Schools
Mulberry
Gwinnett County Public Schools across the Dacula, Mill Creek, and Seckinger clusters.
Auburn
Two systems by county line: Barrow County's Apalachee cluster on the Barrow side, Gwinnett County on the Gwinnett side.
Cost of living
Mulberry
Corridor index with the area's highest home prices.
Auburn
A lower entry point overall, with the Barrow side of town the most affordable corner of the mesh.
Taxes
Mulberry
No city millage; Gwinnett County and school millage only.
Auburn
The Gwinnett side shows a 0.00 city rate in the county table; the Barrow side carries Barrow County and school rates.
Home prices
Mulberry
Hamilton Mill core median sales around $630,000; new builds from the $400,000s on the outer roads.
Auburn
Roughly $300,000 to $440,000 in the recent sale-price span, with new construction growing along Highway 316.
Recreation
Mulberry
Golf, pools, tennis, and the town center in Hamilton Mill; county parks minutes out.
Auburn
County parks along the 316 corridor, growing trail networks, and the Rowen project's future greenspace next door.
Local vibe
Mulberry
New-build, amenity-first suburbia with a brand-new city seal.
Auburn
A small two-county town in the middle of its growth spurt, still closer to the farm than the fairway.
Which one fits you
The honest verdict
Mulberry fits the buyer who wants the golf-community address and the Gwinnett cluster chains at a corridor premium. Auburn fits the buyer who wants the most value per square foot, does not mind a longer drive, and is comfortable with a two-county, two-school-system reality. If schools are the deciding factor, verify the cluster by address in Mulberry and the county line in Auburn.
The signature note: I'll tell you what I'd do if it were my house. On these two, the school boundary and the monthly fee sheet usually decide it faster than any single number in the table.
Keep comparing
Related city comparisons
Sources and verification: population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census and July 2024 to July 2025 estimates as cited in the source notes of each comparison page); school assignments from Gwinnett County Public Schools, Buford City Schools, Jackson County Schools, Hall County Schools, and the Barrow County School System; tax structure from the Gwinnett, Jackson, Barrow, and Hall county tax commissioners and the cities' published millage notices; home values from median sale and value figures published by Census, county, and listing-data sources. Everything above was checked October 7, 2026, and may change without notice. Confirm the school boundary and the current millage for any address before you commit.
An editorial guide, not a listings site. Real-estate guidance on this page is provided by Rob Dietrich, REALTOR® with eXp Realty, LLC. Information is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed.